Nestled in the hills of Mission Bay amongst native bush and birdsong rests The Refinery.
Founded by Sheila Ferneyhough, The Refinery is a place to rediscover face confidence with an experienced practitioner of PhiBrows – eyebrow microblading and machine shading. Verve sat down with Sheila to chat about her background, eyebrows, and what she loves about her business and career.
Had you always wanted a career in the beauty industry?
My career in beauty started as a nail technician, working out of a hair salon in Dukes Arcade in Wellington in the mid-‘90s. I was always in awe of Derek Elvy’s team across the road at Buoy Hairdressing – the enigmatic charm that wafted around them as they went about their craft, while I trailed acrylic dust and reeked of butyl acetate. A decade – or two – later I found myself in Kuala Lumpur absolutely fascinated by this new eyebrow tattooing technique, microblading. We were living in Hong Kong where women in their 60s-plus with harsh brow tattoos that had turned green or grey was a common sight. This microblading seemed remarkably natural in comparison. Having fallen prey to the fashionably thin brow of the ‘90s, I was now follically challenged and looking for a solution. That seed was sown 10 years ago. In 2020, I decided to take the Phibrows certification.
What is the most rewarding part of running your own business in the beauty industry?
Watching a client’s face light up when they see their new brows for the first time is such a beautiful experience. The double entendre in our tagline ‘FACE CONFIDENCE’ perfectly captures this interaction. Running The Refinery is exciting every… single… day. I particularly love the initial client appointment as I’ll design the framework for their new look and draw it directly onto their face (also known as mapping and pre-draw). We’ll make minor changes as we go, to ensure we get the best possible shape for them.
What exactly is Phibrows?
Phi Academy’s Phibrows is a style of microblading or eyebrow embroidery. A hand tool containing micro-blades is used to create fine hair-like strokes with pigment which is implanted in the skin. The strokes should mimic the natural brow hair and growth pattern. The overall design should compensate for lack of or uneven hair growth and complement the face shape and bone structure, making it an ideal option for thinning, uneven and patchy brows. However, this treatment isn’t for all skin types and that’s where machine shading comes into play with powder, ombre and combination brow options. These procedures implant pigment into the skin, therefore, considered a tattoo. I specifically wanted to train in Phibrows as Phi Academy has a reputation worldwide as leaders in the permanent makeup (PMU) field and offered some of the highest quality training available at the time.
Why do beautiful eyebrows give women a sense of confidence and empowerment?
It’s not limited to women. Our faces are our primary visual cues for communicating with each other, the eyes being the first point of connection. By defining and adjusting the brow, we’re clarifying and animating the messages we are conveying, while the brow shape itself might be attributed to perceived personality traits, or flaws. For example, if the tails fall too low, it might be considered a sad expression; fronts too high, maybe fearful; arches too high, perhaps surprised, and so on. I think the subtleties of our facial expressions can get a little lost in translation, so a fitting set of brows don’t necessarily have to be identical, but I do like them to show a neutral interest.
